Charge Across Town, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting electric transportation in the Bay Area, announced the launch of the “Driving on Sunshine” campaign.
In collaboration with the San Francisco Department of the Environment and Envision Solar, the program will sponsor free solar-powered electric vehicle charging in highly visible locations across San Francisco neighborhoods throughout 2015. Driving on Sunshine is funded by the 11th Hour Project, a program of The Schmidt Family Foundation.
“This innovative program allows the City of San Francisco to demonstrate that electric vehicles can charge from 100-percent renewable sources, with no impact to the electric grid and with absolutely zero emissions,” said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. “Driving on Sunshine is a perfect example of taking innovative action to protect the climate.”
Three Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Chargers (EV ARCs) from Envision Solar will be placed throughout the city at predetermined sites, each for a three-month time period. The mobile solar units will collect data on frequency and duration of use; the Driving on Sunshine team will evaluate usage reports at the end of the campaign, inform the City on its findings, and will donate units to the host sites determined to have the most impact.
Free EV charging is now available until June 30 at the following locations:
– Stonestown Galleria Mall, Lakeshore District, parking lot D
– The Embarcadero at Green Street, North Beach District, public parking across from the Exploratorium
– 17th Street and Shotwell Street, Mission District, at a City CarShare Pod near the 16th Street BART station (exclusively used by a City CarShare vehicle for their members)
“San Francisco is a national leader in both electric vehicle adoption and renewable energy use, and Driving on Sunshine further empowers residents to take an active role in reducing emissions,” said Maureen Blanc, Director of Charge Across Town. “We are encouraged by the support we’ve seen from local businesses and government organizations, and we look forward to working alongside our partners to elevate environmental awareness through this innovative public-private collaboration.”
